


Don’t leave me here alone

by 4AlarmFirecracker



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Angst, Ava clones, Did I say angst?, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, I meant ANGST, emotional torture, light graphic description of violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-01-16 02:54:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18512443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4AlarmFirecracker/pseuds/4AlarmFirecracker
Summary: Ava awakened from her slumber with a jolt. Her head was killing her. Her hands were bound together behind her back and she was sitting on a chair. What had happened? She opened her eyes but was met with only darkness, feeling a blindfold in front of them. She remembered now. Men in suits, time couriers crashing under her shoes, her fighting, her losing to them, the tissue soaked in chloroform applied to her face.Or the one where Ava is kidnapped and Sara does everything she can to save her from a fate worse than death.





	1. How it all started

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone ! This is my second Avalance story. I can't get enough of those two cuties. This story mainly revolves around the Ava clones and how Ava and Sara are mixed up in this world again. I have been obsessed with the Ava clones since 3x16. I can't wait to see episode 4x12. This story is set right after 4x09 and Avalance's argument.
> 
> No Archive Warnings Apply for now but it may change later and if I choose to hurt more than emotionally our baby Ava, I'll put graphic description of violence ... That is why I hesitated between the rating T or M, opting for the strongest to be sure. Better be safe! No sex in this story, but kisses will happen ! 
> 
> I am so excited to show you my story ♥ I hope you'll like it. Thank you @WardenRoot for the beta and taking the time to think with me of various ideas. Love you, you're the best !

  

_"Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes; for those who love with heart and soul there is no separation."_

 

* * *

 

 

A door opened, bathing the dark room with light coming from the corridor. A weary hand moved towards the light switch as tired blue eyes blinked at the sudden brightness. The door was slammed shut, some footsteps were heard, and glass clattered, the sound of liquid being poured into it resonating in the quiet room. The woman sat on her couch, glass in hand, bottle of whiskey dropped on the coffee table. She drowned the first drink in a matter of seconds, wincing at the burn in her throat, but still poured herself another glass. She took a sip, then put the glass down on the wooden table. She sighed as she put a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Her eyes were beginning to water as she thought of the woman she loved and their last encounter. It was an understatement to say that it hadn’t well. She removed the pins binding her hair in a tight bun, letting her long hair cascade freely down her back. As she massaged her scalp, she remembered Sara’s fingers doing the exact same thing a week ago, in this same couch, her head on Sara’s knees, looking at her beautiful and perfect face.

Ava took the cushion closest to her, her fingers lightly caressing the letters engraved on it, spelling the word _Love_. Sara had bought her this cushion. Ava clenched her teeth together, repressing a sob. She clutched the cushion hard, her fingers turning white as she put it above her heart. She released a breath of air she didn’t know she was holding, shaking hard. She was a little drunk and she missed Sara.

Ava had done some research and had found some compromising documents on Hank and his operations. Sara had been right. Right on the facts. Not on the communication part. She should have told her the plan right away. Ava, on the other hand, had went too far during their talk. She didn’t believe those magical creatures deserved to suffer, but she needed to do her job. She needed to protect history and send them back to where they were from. She needed to protect humans because she could not deal with magical creatures right now. She needed to hold on to her reality. She needed Sara to support her or she would fall into a whirlwind of emotions, thinking about her condition, her being a clone, her not having a childhood, her memories being manufactured. She hugged the cushion, thinking of Sara’s body against her, her lips whispering that she was real against her hair, and her kisses on her forehead soothing away her nightmares.

Ava’s fingers itched towards her phone on the table. She wanted to hear Sara’s voice. But she was intoxicated right now and was is no shape to hold a conversation. Her trembling fingers retracted against her chest. She decided that the best thing to do was to stuff her face into the cushion. She sobbed as she smelled Sara on it. She then closed her eyes, looking at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts.

Suddenly, the sound of a time portal broke the silence of the room. She was quick to jump on her feet, only a second before one of the men encircling her threw the first punch, bearly missing her. Her forearm blocked the arm of the second man as her fist made contact with his chin, knocking him to the ground and crushing his time courier with her heel. Her head was already fuzzy from her drink, but as she felt a third man attack her from behind and block her airways, the throbbing intensified. She grabbed the man’s forearm, desperately trying to decrease the force applied on her throat. As the first man entered her field of view, Ava used the man strangling her to support her as she threw both her feet in the chest of the man in front of her. She used the momentum to get back on her feet and throw the guy who was strangling her above her head, taking his time courier and breaking it too. Where were they coming from? Why did they have time couriers, too? What did they want with her? As she saw the second man collect the pieces of broken time courier and throw it in a time window he just created, she took him by the collar, ripped his time courier off his wrist, and crushed it too.

“Who are you and what do you want with me?” Ava yelled at his face.

“Neron’s orders,” he answered, an evil smile passing on his lips.

“Neron,” she whispered. She had heard that name before.

One of the other men took advantage of her surprise and brought a tissue soaked with chloroform to her face, taking her time courier off her wrist and launching it to one of his collaborators. As she breathed through it, she immediately recognized the smell, and punched the guy in his guts as one of them collected the third shattered time courier and the two others dragged her to the newly opened time portal. She quickly recovered her time courier from the hands of her aggressor and crushed it under her heel, hoping to block all of them to 2019. But the men were stronger than her, and as she began to pass out, they managed to drag her through the portal just before it closed.

“SARA!” she yelled as darkness enveloped her and the last piece of 2019 was seen by her closing eyes.

 

 

Sara blinked as she heard Ava calling her name, her heart beating faster. But as she turned towards the voice, she found herself gazing at an empty space in the crowded room. They were all here for Hank’s funeral. Sara was wearing a black turtleneck, her blonde hair caressing the back of a black blazer. Her mouth was open as she observed the room. Ava wasn’t here. Did she dream up the voice? Did she miss Ava so much that she had imagined it? But why imagine a voice that was scared? Ava hadn’t called her or answered any of her texts for days. Maybe she was beginning to worry too much about Ava’s absence. But again, one week had passed since she last saw Ava. This wasn’t like Ava, taking a leave of absence for more than three days. Only Hank knew about her taking some time off. Was she really so hurt that she refused to even work? Ava loved her job.

“Hey, love. Care to tell me what is passing through your mind?”

Sara startled at Constantine’s voice. Maybe he could have heard something. He was right next to her when she heard Ava’s voice.

“John. Please tell me you heard that voice too,” Sara asked, her eyes alert.

He took a cigarette, taking his lighter out of his long coat’s pocket.

“The only sound I hear is the sound of Rory eating with his mouth open,” he continued, opening his lighter and bringing it to his mouth.

Sara rolled her eyes as she flicked his cigarette out of his mouth. Would he ever stop smoking?

“Yeah, no, I must have heard that too,” she added, moving her feet to take her out of the room as fast as possible.

She spotted Gary easily and walked to him immediately. She needed to be reassured.

“Hey, Gary,” she started.

“Captain Lance! Are you okay?” he asked, his voice raising a little. “I heard about what happened between Director Sharpe and you,” he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Please tell me you two are okay now. I was really shipping you so hard.”

“Gary!” Sara said firmly.

When she saw his frightened look, she took pity on him.

“Listen. That is why I came to talk to you. Have you heard from Ava this past week?” Sara asked, a trace of hope still staying in her mind.

As he answered her that no, in fact he tried to contact her but she didn’t respond, Sara felt her throat constrict itself around her airway. She had a bad feeling about this. She thanked him and went to a quieter area.

How did she hear Ava’s voice? Had she imagined it? She had heard one day that soulmates could feel each other's presence even when separated and maybe, when one of them was in danger, their panic. Did she believe in soulmates? She did not and never had … but with Ava, she was starting to wonder. Were soulmates real? Were Ava and her, soulmates? Confusion could be read on the lines of her face. She could feel in her core that Ava was in danger. Maybe it was because she missed her touch but also her voice and the feeling of being close to her. What wouldn’t she give right now to be able to be in her arms, her nose in the crook of Ava’s neck, her eyes closed, listening to Ava humming to soothe her. God she missed her so much and it had only been a week. She couldn’t sleep one more night without assuring herself that Ava was fine. She had given her one week, but now she had to know. She had to go to Ava’s apartment.

 

 

Ava awakened from her slumber with a jolt. Her head was killing her. Her hands were bound together behind her back and she was sitting on a chair. What had happened? She opened her eyes but was met with only darkness, feeling a blindfold in front of them. She remembered now. Men in suits, time couriers crashing under her shoes, her fighting, her losing to them, the tissue soaked in chloroform applied to her face. She could still smell it as if it was applied to her only a minute ago. They were fools if they thought they could kidnap her like that. Anyway, they were amateurs. If she had to choose, she prefered potassium chloride to chloroform when it came to anesthetics, because it acted quicker, left no trace in post-mortem toxicology, and did not have this strong characteristic odor.

Ava turned her head to the sound of men talking in the distance. She tugged at the ropes tying her wrists together, but they were tightly bound. Maybe not total amateurs. She suddenly heard a door open, the sound of footsteps following right after. She tried to look through her blindfold but all she could see was the lighting passing through some stripes of the cloth.

“Ava Sharpe,” the voice of a man resonated in the small room.

“Who the hell are you and what do you want with me?” she answered, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible. Her heart was beating hard in her chest.

“Is that the name they gave you? I will refer to you as 324B21 from now on,” he continued, without paying attention to what she was saying.

“324B … What is this and why am I here? I demand to know.” Her voice was starting to waver. Did the guy just give her a tag number? Who did he think she was?

Then, horror downed on her traits. Was that … was that her clone id? Was she in the future now? Did they finally see that she was taken from 2213 and brought to the past? Were they here to rectify that mistake? What would they do to her?

“You do not have the right to demand anything, 324B21,” he said, without any emotion in his voice.

She felt her blindfold being removed, and as she was starting to see, a light was lit on, right in her face. She winced and closed her eyes immediately, trying to reduce the burning she felt behind her them.

“Who brought you to 2017?” he continued.

She opened her eyes again, trying to be strong. “Why would I tell you?” She spit on the feet of the man to prove her resolution.

Suddenly, he got out of the darkness to wrap a hand around her throat, the chair tilting with her body backwards. She felt his fingers apply pressure on her airways as she tried to breathe, her wrists tugging at the ropes, desperately trying to get out. But the person who had bound her was skilled.

“You will tell me or you won’t. But if you do not tell me, I will have you rebooted as our new _Sexy Ava_ . If you tell me, I’ll see if we can find you a more … let’s say ... decent reboot. And trust me, you don’t want to know what people do to our _Sexy Ava_ clones,” he said, a big smile on his lips.

His breath smelled so bad that when she managed to breathe a little, she felt nauseous. That feeling was enhanced when she heard the term reboot. She couldn’t be rebooted. She had so much to live for. She thought of Sara, of her job at the Time Bureau. She was making a difference. She was changing things. She had to take down Hank. She thought of Sara’s kisses on her mouth, her warm lips on her neck. She could feel her head starting to fall on her side as she was lacking oxygen. The hold on her was too strong. Even when struggling, she could not reach the man’s hand or make him release her. Just before she blacked out, he freed her. She took a deep breath, coughing afterwards. She sent the man a look of defiance as he left the room, turning off the light on his way out.

And here she was, in the darkness, alone, a tear escaping the corner of her eye. She didn’t want to think about what could happen to her, about what happens to the _Sexy Ava_ clones. Of course, she knew it, but she wouldn’t be able to hold it together if she let her thoughts wander on that subject. Instead, she thought of Sara’s smile and arms surrounding her, protecting her. She missed her. She needed her. Would she come

She asked herself if she already was replaced by another clone. Would Sara notice she had been kidnapped or just continue with her life with the fake Ava? Was she even fake? Would they give her her memories? Her heart constricted at that idea of living a life without Sara. She felt a tug in her heart, a feeling of warmth surrounding her. Was she feeling Sara’s soul? Was she connected to her? No, it was probably the exhaustion talking. And yet, she kept wondering. But soon, the warmth was gone, replaced with a pure feeling of horror.

 

Sara had just entered Ava’s apartment. She couldn’t wait one more day to talk to her. As she entered the main room, she was prepared to see an angry Ava. But the thought warmed her heart. She missed her face. What she wasn’t prepared for, was to see the room completely torn apart. The cushion she had offered Ava was on the floor, the word _Love_ on it breaking her heart.

“Ava?” she called, fear evident in her voice.

Sara’s heart was beating faster and faster as she discovered the rest of the room. She put the cushion back on Ava’s sofa and let her legs move her next to the coffee table, glass on the floor. Her trembling finger recovered the frame close by. She turned it in her hands, discovering the photo inside it, broken glass still attached to the frame. She had to repress a sob, putting her right hand over her mouth. It was a selfie of them, Ava kissing her cheek as Sara took the photo. She remembered this moment quite well. It was at camp Ogawa. The Legends had just finished dealing with the problem of the monster swamp thing, as Ava had called it. They had transformed back to their adult selves, enjoying a moment together. Sara had taken that photo to remind Ava that they could make real memories together and that Ava did not have to fear having new experiences or to turn back to being a kid.

Sara put the frame back on the table as she approached the place where a fight might have happened. As she looked at the floor, she spotted a shattered time courier. She stopped froze when she noticed dried blood on it. Was it Ava’s? Sara kneeled next to it and wiped with the back of her hand a tear that she hadn’t noticed falling on her cheek. She recovered all the broken pieces she could find and put them in her pocket, slowly getting back to her feet. She had to analyze the last encoded destination of the time courier.

 

 

 

 

As soon as Sara was back on the Waverider, she asked Zari to try to recover the data of the broken time courier. She was still in shock with the scene she had seen earlier. Who would take Ava? Why would they take her? Zari had told her to give her an hour, but Sara was restless, pacing back and forth in her room. Her heart was beating fast, fear overtaking her entirely. Was Ava in danger? Were they hurting her? And as her eyes landed on a framed photo of them on her nightstand, an unthinkable question passed through her mind. And what if they had already killed her? Flashes of the blood on the time courier passed in front of her eyes.

Sara sat on the side of her bed, her eyes transfixed by the photo. As she saw the smile on Ava’s lips, she traced it with the tip of her index. What if she never saw that smile again?

“Captain?”

Sara jumped on her feet as soon as she heard Zari’s voice from the other side of the door.

“Come in,” Sara said, moving towards the door. “Do you have a location?” she continued, hopeful, as she saw Zari enter the room.

“2213, next to a Megastör,” Zari said, her eyes searching Sara’s.

Sara froze in her tracks when she heard the year. She had been there before. It was the year she met all the Ava clones, the factory, Ava discovering her memories were manufactured. The start of this hell. Sara could not concentrate on Zari’s words. All she could hear was a continuous ringing. What if they had reset Ava to factory settings? It was worse than death. How could she find her in the middle of all those Avas? Sara would surely be able to recognize her Ava but it would not be an easy task. She shook her head, returning to the present.

“Zari … Give me the location now. I’ll go immediately.”

“Sara, you can’t go alone. I’m calling the team,” Zari said, her hand wrapping around Sara’s biceps.

“Give me one day, Zari. I have to do this. One person won’t attract as much attention as an entire group of people,” Sara started, her hand covering Zari’s own. “Please, don’t tell the others,” she continued, pleading the other woman with her eyes.

“One day, Sara!” she sighed, her hand letting go of Sara’s arm as she pointed her index finger in front of Sara to prove her point.

Sara nodded as Zari gave her the location. As soon as she had it, she went to the armory with resolute steps. She took her bo staff in hand, feeling the coldness of it against her palm and the weight of it in her hand, loving how it felt. She put it in her belt, against her lower back, adding some knives and shurikens to her pockets. She added a long coat over everything to remain undetected in her rescue mission. She only had one goal in mind; save Ava and bring her home. She would kill anyone standing in her way. Nothing could stop her now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this first chapter. I'm so excited to go further with this clone story. What will Sara find in 2213? What will happen to Ava? How will Sara recognize Ava?
> 
> Don't hesitate to leave a message, I love them and they keep me motivated ♥  
> This is a multi-chapters story so don't hesitate to follow me or this story to be notified when I post the next chapter ;)


	2. Ava 2.0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this story ♥ I can't wait for tomorrow's ep ! Dying here of anticipation ^^
> 
> Thank you again @WardenRoot for the beta :D
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy this chapter ! I added a tag "light graphic description of violence" to be sure ♥ Have fun !

Ava woke up strapped to a table this time, something resembling a headset fixed on her head. When and how did they drug her? She turned her wrists to try to get out of the straps binding them, but it was in vain. Then, she moved her head, studying her surroundings. She was in a white room, surrounded by two people: one was looking at her, the other one was busy on her computer. She observed the room, trying to find the exits. There was a door in front of her. If she tried something now, maybe she could get out. But as the thought passed through her mind, two more men entered the room. One of them was the man that had choke her the last time she was awake. He had a sadistic grin plastered on his face. She grit her teeth, feeling anger rising in her chest. Her eyes conveyed all the hate she had for that man. 

“So. 324B21 … Ready to tell us how you got to 2017 and why you’ve started a relationship with — ” he looked at the file in his hands and continued  — “a certain Sara Lance?” 

Even his voice made her cringe. But the fact that he knew Sara’s name made her freeze in utter terror. She recovered quickly, trying to let no emotion pass on her face. He could not know that she would do anything for Sara. But she could not lie either because he already knew she had a relationship with Sara. Maybe she could play the get close to target card.

“I don’t know what informations you have in your file there, but I’m not in a relationship with Sara Lance. I went …” she started.

“Bullshit,” he yelled, coming close to her. “I put you under surveillance two months ago. We know absolutely everything that happened since then. Everything.” He paused, looking into her eyes, searching for a reaction she did not give him the pleasure of seeing.

Her mind was racing in her head, thinking of all the private moments she and Sara shared in those two months. Her birthday; their belated Valentine’s day; their evenings in front of her TV; their bed. She felt disgusted to know that her privacy had been intruded like that. She always came back to those magic moments with Sara when she was not feeling right. They were sacred to her. She took a deep breath, waited a few seconds, then talked, venom in her voice.

“I have nothing to say to you.”

“You’re making this decision easy for me 324B21. Not a single clone experienced emotions, except you. You would have made a perfect subject of study in our AVA laboratory. But I’m gonna have to reset you to factory settings,” he said, his face inches away from her face. She struck his head with hers, hard, his hand coming up to his forehead. “You unsubordinated clone.” He hit her hard on her left temple. “I’m gonna make you learn respect. Sexy Ava it is.” He nodded at the woman behind the computer.

Ava just had the time to feel her heart constrict at the thought of never seeing Sara’s face again  — or worse, seeing it but not recognizing it  — before an unimaginable pain pierced through her head, her body tensing involuntarily. The only word on her lips was Sara, as she yelled her name, fists clenched and eyes fixated on the ceiling, pain overwhelming her completely.

 

 

 

Sara jumped through the portal, her weapons ready if needed. She opened her eyes wide as she saw what was all around her. She was standing between two shelves, a person coming her way, a caddie filled with food being pushed in front of him by a robot. Thank Beebo, he did not see her coming through the portal.

She walked in the direction of the main alley, searching for Ava. She looked around her, turning on herself, taking in the technology on the walls. 3D animations were coming out of every hallway, overstimulating her senses. How people could live and shop like this was beyond her.

Her heart missed a beat when she saw a glimpse of blonde hair at the turn of a hallway. She would recognize her everywhere. She couldn’t repress a smile as she walked quickly towards the place where she saw her last.

“Ava,” Sara said, joy obvious on her face. Her bright smile was reaching her ears. She missed her. But as Ava turned around, Sara couldn’t help the weird feeling overtaking her.

“How can I help you, citizen?” the Ava clone answered her, her voice lacking the warmth and emotion she could usually find in Ava’s. Dread could be seen on Sara’s face as she understood that it was not her Ava. She should have known. This was the year 2213, after all. There were hundreds of Avas … Maybe even thousands. The thought made her nauseous. How could people use clones for their needs, as slaves. A hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality.

“Are you feeling well, Miss … ?” the clone said, looking into her eyes, asking for her name. 

God, she didn’t think it would be that hard to look at other Avas and talk to them. She rolled her eyes, looking at the ceiling with a sigh. She had to control her emotions. She had to, or she would never find her Ava in this place she called hell the last time she was here. It was still hell for her but, clearly, her vision of hell had changed. She just wanted to find her Ava and take her home. The scene at Ava’s apartment had scared her more than anything she had seen before. Even Slade could not match the fear that overtook her when she had seen blood on Ava’s time courier. 

“I’m … I’m searching for Ava Sharpe,” she asked, not knowing who else to ask. Maybe the Ava clone had seen something or even the smallest clue who could help her find the woman she loved.

“There is 20 Avas at your service in this Megastör. And there are even more Avas you can choose from in the basement of this store. I could call another Ava to come help you,” she said, already preparing herself, her finger at the ear wearing the communication device.

“No!” Sara enclosed Ava’s wrist with her fingers, stopping her in her tracks. “I mean … have you seen an Ava in a suit somewhere?” Sara asked, playing with her luck. Maybe Ava had not been wearing her suit when she was taken.

“I believe you are talking about the deviant Ava that was taken to be reprogrammed. Maybe I should not talk about this.” Conflict could be seen on her face.

“You help the client with everything they need, right?” Sara had to think really fast. She did not want the security to know about her. “So my question is: where did they take her?” Sara said, hopeful.

“They were heading towards the basement,” the Ava clone said, adding, “The basement is this way,” when she saw Sara leaving in the wrong direction. A thank you was given, and in return, the Ava clone wished her a nice day and continued the job she was programmed to do.

Sara wanted to run towards the basement but she had to remain unnoticed. She could not allow herself to be taken by the guards. She had to save Ava from a fate worse than death. Putting her back to factory settings … She did not want to think about that, but it was occupying her entire mind. Her heart was bleeding internally. She could not lose Ava. Not after she had ignored her calls and not after how they ended things when she last saw her. She needed to see her blue eyes and her smile, but also feel Ava’s hands on her cheek and the warmth of her breath mingling with hers. She looked at the access card she had just stolen from the Ava clone, the hope of finding and saving Ava stronger than ever. She was coming.

 

 

 

Ava’s screams were filling the white room. The man approached her as soon as the woman behind the computer told him it was safe to approach the table. Ava’s body went still against the table, exhausted. Her limbs were slack, no force left in them to fight. Her eyes were filled with tears as her throat hurt from screaming. She had tried, at first, to resist the cry coming out of her mouth, but the intense pain they had inflicted her was too strong for her to stay silent. She knew physical pain and could resist it … but she felt like her brain was being cooked. She had never experienced that kind of pain. It felt like electricity was travelling from one side of her brain to the other. 

“Did it work this time?” she heard the voice of the man ask, her ears still ringing from the device fixed on her head.

“I’m afraid we won’t be able to reset her. Something is blocking the process,” the woman answered, looking at a sweaty Ava. “We will maybe have to dispose of her,” she added, without an ounce of empathy.

“Three times we tried the process and three times it didn’t work,” the man said, more to himself than the woman. “I have no choice but to send her to the laboratory and perform tests on her. She is one of a kind,” he said, impressed but angry at the same time.

Ava tensed hearing that. She preferred even dying to being tested on. What was she thinking the last time she talked to Sara? No human or creature deserved this, magical or not.

The man pulled a knife out of his pocket, putting the cold tip of its blade against Ava’s neck. She did not move but held the man’s gaze in a defiant way.

“How do you fight the process? Tell me now or I’ll cut you!” he yelled, droplets of spit coming in contact with her face. 

She answered him with a half smile, blue eyes flashing before her own, small hands running down her arms and soft lips crashing on her own. She knew she was hallucinating, but it was the only thing keeping her sane. Sara.

Not receiving a response, he opened her white shirt on her left side and let the blade of the knife glide on her skin, not piercing it. He stopped under her collarbone, waiting for her to talk. But as she looked him in the eye and smiled again, his left hand put pressure on her neck as his right one was pushing the knife into her skin.

The first second, she stayed silent, just closing her eyes, trying to hang on to Sara’s arms encircling her, protecting her. But as the pain intensified, blood flowing from her wound, she could not repress a cry, the guy smiling at the sound. Soon, Sara’s lips were on her forehead, soothing her, helping her deal with the pain, telling her she loved her. Tears were flowing out of her eyes, as the guy carved in her skin  _ 324B21 _ . She sobbed when the knife was removed from her skin. The wound was burning. Sara kissed her under her ear, whispering to her that she was here, that she was coming.

 

 

 

At the Time Bureau, Neron was looking at the surveillance cameras when he noticed Zari having an intense conversation with Gary. He turned on the bug he had placed in Gary’s vest, listening intently to their conversation. The moment he heard that they had found Ava and that Sara was on her way to save her, he opened his time courier, entering the Megastör basement. He had to program an Ava clone to act like the one Sara knew. He needed her to stay in 2213, out of his plans. She had already found too much information. But he could not kill her. Not right now. He needed her for a wicked plan of his. He just did not have enough time to achieve it, and Ava seemed to resist his men’s attempts to mind wipe her.

  
  


“I gave her one day, Gary. But I need a new time courier now. Sara took the only one still on the ship. I need to gather the Legends soon, and if Sara does not come back, we need to go to 2213 and help her,” Zari said, looking at Gary’s face decomposing. She had just told him that Ava had been kidnapped and that Sara was looking for her. He was still in shock when he handed her his time courier. She knew he looked up to Ava and cared for her, that is why she came directly to him for help.

“I want to come, too,” he said, his eyes wet.

“You’re already helping, Gary. Just keep an eye out at the Time Bureau. Here’s a communication device. Call me directly if you see or hear something unusual.” She put her hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him.

 

 

 

Sara looked on her right, her eyes landing on a sign plastered on the door, with the word basement on it. She opened it and landed in a storage room at least twice the Waverider’s size. There was almost no light inside. As she approached a human sized box, she squinted her eyes, trying to discern the writings on it. As her eyes were starting to adjust to the lack of light, she heard voice in the distance. She hid herself behind the box, holding her breath, a knife in her hand, her muscles tense as she was ready to jump on whoever might notice her. As two people in white blouses passed next to her without paying attention, she relaxed. But as she turned her head and looked at the box again, this time from a side showing the inside of the box, she froze, taking in a perfect copy of Ava. Her heart stopped for a second, her eyes reading the inscription on the box: Sexy Ava. Who could do that? Why? She felt sick in her stomach, thinking of people using clones as slaves. What were the clones feeling? Did they even have feelings? Rip had told her her Ava was one of a kind, that clones were not supposed to feel anger or jealousy or even love. But Ava did. Ava was different.

Sara could not stop thinking about what Ava could have felt, her job on the line, trying to fulfill her role of girlfriend. Had Ava thought that if she lost her job, she would be like one of those clones, with no other purpose in life than to serve? Sara felt a pang of guilt in her chest. She should have told Ava her plan, instead of danced around her feelings. She should have protected her. Her gaze landed on the Ava clone, her heavily made-up eyes, her earrings, her hair on the side, her lips unmoving, fixed in a fake smile. She then lowered her eyes on Ava’s glittering black dress, her never ending legs and her high heels. Sara could not repress a shiver running down her spine as she observed Ava’s face again. It did not feel right. She felt sick in her heart; for Ava; for the clones; for the people using them. She had to look away, get out of the horror in front of her and search for her Ava. She could not lose more time, God knows what was being done to her in that instant.

As she started moving again, putting the knife away, she felt a horrible pain in her head, her hand instantly flying to her temple as she put a knee to the ground. She felt paralyzed for a second, then the pain was gone in an instant. Suddenly, a few seconds later, the throbbing pain resumed. She tried to stop herself from yelling as she was afraid that people might hear her and discover that she did not belong here. Tears were running down her cheeks as the torture stopped. She did not understand what had just happened. Was it Ava? Were they connected? She did not have the time to think. She had to go save Ava. As she moved forward down the hallways, her eyes came across many different boxes; Dancing Ava; Assertive Ava; Astronaut Ava; Mom Ava. She started to run, unable to look at more boxes. 

 

 

 

A few minutes later, after many turns along the corridors searching for any sign of Ava, she noticed two men guarding a room. It must have been where they kept Ava. She ran to them, knocking the first one out immediately and disarming the second one a second later. He quickly took a defensive stance, landing a few well placed blows on Sara’s body. But as his fist was heading towards her face, she crouched, taking his arm in flight and letting him roll above her. She followed him to the ground, choking him until he lost consciousness. She quickly moved them behind a few boxes and tied them up before taking the keys out of one of their pockets.

The moment she entered the room, her heart constricted at the sight in front of her. Ava was strapped to a chair, wounds and bruises on her face, her bottom lip split. She looked tired. No one else was in the room.

“Ava,” she whispered as Ava rose her head, their eyes meeting.

“Sara,” Ava said, a strangled cry stuck in her throat.

Sara ran to the chair, a knife already in her hand, ready to cut the ropes restraining Ava’s wrists and legs. When Ava was free, Sara took her in her arms, lifting her up to her feet. She then took a step back, observing Ava’s beaten face. She cradled Ava’s cheek as she felt all her repressed emotions coming back to the surface.

“I was so scared,” she said, tears flowing down her face. “I thought I’d lost you forever.”

Ava’s eyes were equally wet, her hands around Sara’s biceps, grounding her to reality.

“I thought you’d never come,” Ava sobbed.

As Sara’s hand came to rest on her neck, Ava’s arms encircled her, hugging her as much as she could. The hand on Ava’s neck moved upwards, grasping her hair as the other hand was clutching at her side above her hip. Sara released a breath she did not know she had been holding as she cried on Ava’s shoulder, feeling her arms tighten around her.

 

 

 

As Ava woke up once again from her slumber, she saw that she was not on the table anymore, but once more strapped to a chair, a terrible throb invading her head. As she looked around her, she recognized the room she was in the first time, except this time, she was on the other side of the one-way mirror. No one was in the room or with her. But one minute later, she saw a beaten up Ava clone enter the room with two men on her side, binding her wrists and legs to the chair, a blazer on her shoulders. For a moment, Ava thought that it was her blazer, but as she looked at herself, she saw that she still had her blazer on. Why were they doing that? Why was she on this side of the mirror, watching a beaten up Ava clone strapped to a chair? The men left in a hurry, leaving the clone alone.

As Ava was starting to turn her wrists against each other, trying to get out of the bindings, she saw a face she thought she would never see again enter the room. A smile made its way on her lips in an instant, her face falling as quickly when she saw Sara running toward the Ava clone. She stayed frozen until Sara touched the clone’s face, looking at her with love in her eyes. Her heart was being torn into a thousand pieces. She felt a tear roll down her cheek, a sob getting out of her without warning.

She whispered, a first, “Sara,” then yelled her name, hoping that Sara would hear her. “SARA!”

But she felt like all was lost when she saw her beloved Sara leave the room, hand in hand with the Ava clone. She yelled again, tugging at the ropes, and tried to lean on the side of the chair, hoping to topple it. Tears were flowing down her face as she understood that Sara had come for her, but that she had not recognized her. She stopped moving, a defeated sound leaving her throat as she lowered her head down. Would sara live her life with a new Ava clone? Would the Ava clone be the thirteenth Ava at the Bureau? All she knew was that she may never see Sara again, and that shattered her heat completely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Sara see that it is not her Ava? And if yes, when? Will Ava be able to get out of there? And in what state of mind would she get out? And even then, how could both Ava and Sara deal with the horror they both faced in 2213 if they ever get out of there?
> 
> Soooo how did you find the chapter ? :D Leave a comment ! They keep me going.


	3. Defy them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys ;) Here's a new chapter for you. Sorry for the wait but I just HAD TO gif this amazing episode that was 4x12 and it took me all my free time. Granted, I didn't have a lot of free time at all with my master thesis :P
> 
> Thanks @WardenRoot for the beta :D
> 
> Have fun ♥

 

_ “Defy them. Live your life with every ounce of passion that I know that you have. Then they will never own you.” _   — Delphine Cormier

 

* * *

 

 

Sara’s palm was pressed against Ava’s as they were running out of the room. Sara did not want to let go of Ava now that she had finally found her. Her heart was beating fast as she ran, away from this hell, closer to home. Her fingers tightened around Ava’s as she heard voices heading their way. Sara looked quickly around her, all her senses  heightened .

“There,” Sara whispered, her finger showing a narrow alley, only big enough for the both of them if they pressed their bodies together. But it was the only place where they could hide quickly.

Sara tugged Ava towards the alley, their bodies easily fitting together. It was a nice feeling, finally being close to the woman she loved. Sara moved her gaze to Ava’s face, watching her worried traits as she had her head turned towards the opening. Sara could not repress a smile when she saw a worried frown on Ava’s face. Damn she had missed her. She looked away when she heard the guards come towards them. It was the ones she had knocked out a little earlier. They must have had to give the alert. Now was the time to go home. She pushed on her time courier but no portal appeared.

“Dammit,” Sara whispered, seeing a crack in the time courier. “Guess we’re gonna have to find another way out.” Her finger quickly opened her comm in her ear. “Zari, we’re gonna need your help.” A few seconds. “Z?” Sara looked at Ava, who had by now turned to face her instead of the opening, fear written on both their faces. “The comms are down too. Plan C it is.”

Sara looked at the guards, who were not planning on moving soon. Sara knew that her and Ava would have to move soon even if the guards were blocking their exit. But for now, she was planning on waiting to see if they did not leave by themselves. Stealth was important. But if stealth did not work, then she would have to force her way out of this. She was more than capable of taking them, but if others arrived, she was afraid that Ava would be hurt even more.

As she saw Ava’s face turning again towards the guards, Sara put her fingers under her chin, guiding her head until their eyes were locked together.

“Hey,” Sara whispered. “You’re okay?”

Sara’s eyes were searching Ava’s. Was she trying not to look at her? Was she ashamed of having been kidnapped? Of being rescued?

“I’ll be better once we’re out of here,” Ava whispered back, her eyes landing on her feet.

Sara’s heart broke when she saw how affected Ava was. She tried to soothe her, her fingers running down Ava’s arms. This gesture was also to calm herself, grounding her to reality, preventing her thoughts from going to dark places.

“We’ll both be better, Ava.”

Sara felt Ava’s muscles under her fingertips, still tense, her entire body stiff next to her. It pained Sara to see Ava like this. She put one of her hands on Ava’s cheek, the other one squeezing her side.

“What did they do to you?” Sara asked, pain obvious in her voice.

 

 

 

“SARA!” Ava yelled, her hands tugging at the ropes binding her wrists together. “Please don’t leave me here alone,” she whispered, her vision blurry from tears. She sobbed, gritting her teeth, then looked at the one-way mirror, a determined look appearing on her face. She had to fight; fight for Sara; fight for herself; fight for them. They we not done. She still had plenty of new memories to make with Sara. Happy memories. Sad memories. She wanted them all.

She decided to start to swing the chair from left to right, right to left, until she felt herself loose balance. She could not repress a yelp of pain when her shoulder crashed with force on the cold hard ground.

 

 

 

Sara looked at Ava, the back of her hand stroking Ava’s cheek, encouraging her to talk.

“They wanted to reset me. But it didn’t work. They don’t know why. I’m not sure I know why. When it didn’t work they beat me up. Then you came.” Ava looked at her, a smile on her lips, her cheek pressing against Sara’s hand and her hand coming up to Sara’s own cheek, thumb caressing Sara’s lips tentatively. Ava’s mouth was open, her face moving towards Sara’s, their breaths mingling.

Ava looked perfect like that, wanting, baring herself to Sara. But something was wrong. Sara had a feeling in her chest that something was not right and it took more and more place as the seconds advanced. There was something missing about Ava. She did not feel the connection she usually had with her. She did not see her soul forming one with her each time they were touching. Was she shocked of what had happen to Ava? Was Ava not completely herself because of what she endured? And then, a question made its way into her mind, burning everything in its way. Was it her Ava? Fear overtook her, her entire body freezing. Did they replace her? Did they want her to go home with another clone? What if it was really Ava and she was still in shock of the torture?

Lost in her thoughts, she did not see Ava approaching her, their bodies being flushed together, before a hand gripped her hip and soft lips came crashing onto hers. Muscle memory came into play as Sara’s right hand directly grasped Ava’s side, her left hand burying itself into Ava’s hair. She screwed her eyes shut, all her questions surging through her mind. The kiss was good, of course, but not as good as all those other times. Suddenly, a sharp pain took hold of her right shoulder, making her grip Ava with all her strength, a moan escaping her lips. What the hell was happening? Sara had never felt so powerless. A terrible heartache took hold of her, her ears catching Ava calling her. Or that was what she thought. Their lips were still sealed. Sara wanted to get lost in the feeling of Ava’s lips against her own but she had learned to trust her gut over the years. And now was not the time to make an exception.

As Sara broke the kiss, her forehead against Ava’s, her right hand, that was on Ava’s hip, tugged the shirt out of her pants, rising it a little to touch bare skin. She had to know. When her fingertips touched Ava’s smooth skin where there should be a scar, Sara’s face came crashing in Ava’s neck, her eyes closed against the warm skin. She let her memories take her back to one of their first dates together: Genghis Khan. It was a fun mission … Until Ava’s side had been cut by a sword and Sara had taken her immediately back to the Waverider. Ava had refused that Gideon removed her scar. It was a battle scar that she wanted to keep to remind her of Sara and their almost perfect date. With all the clone business, it had given Ava a physical reminder that she was different from all these other clones, anchoring her to reality. Sara often kissed the scar when they were in bed together, reminding Ava that she loved all of her imperfect self.

“I love you,” Ava said, breathless.

Sara removed her face from Ava’s neck, coming back to the present. These words could have meant so much to her a few hour ago. But now, as she knew this wasn’t her Ava, she felt a void in her chest. She locked eyes with the Ava clone, taking in her blue eyes void of any warmth.

“I’m sorry,” Sara answered back, seeing confusion written on the clone’s face. Before the Ava clone could talk more, Sara punched her, knocking her out. She felt a pang in her chest the second she hit the Ava clone. It was not her Ava, she kept telling herself. But still, it hurt Sara a lot, hitting someone looking like her Ava. Moreover, the clone did nothing wrong. But Sara could not take any risk. She had to do that and search for the real Ava.

Sara looked at the two guards, releasing a breath when she saw that they had not noticed her. She came from behind them, slamming their heads together, then landing perfect uppercuts, knocking them to the ground. Soon, they were joining the Ava clone in the small alley.

“Hold on Ava. I’m coming,”Sara said, her knuckles white from holding her bo staff too tight.

 

 

 

Ava was on the ground, the chair half broken, her wrists tied together behind her. She knew that if she got out alive from 2213, she would have to check on her shoulder. Now, in the heat of the moment, it did not hurt that much, but she knew that a few hours from now, she would feel it. She removed herself from the broken chair, searching around her for something to cut her restraints with. The first thought that went through her head was to break the one-way mirror, but as she hit it, nothing happened. It would not break. She thought about applying pressure on her restraints using the metal table next to her, but she changed her mind when she saw a forgotten glass on it.

“Amateurs.” She smiled.

She pushed it with her elbow, the glass shattering on the floor. She sat on the cold, humid ground to pick up the sharpest piece she could find. After a few seconds of back and forth movements with her hands, she felt the glass pierce her skin. She tightened her jaw, the pain still bearable. But she could feel the warm liquid flowing through her fingers to the ground. As the restraints gave up under the friction, she could not repress a cry of joy, her face lighting up and a smile passing her lips.

Now, she just had to get out of this room to hope to find Sara … If she was not already back in 2019 with the other clone. No, she was not. Ava had to repeat that to herself if she wanted to get out of here. She tried to push the door, but it was locked from the outside. She had already tried with the mirror. And the chair was too broken and not hard enough for her to try and break it with. The table was fixed to the floor so it would not be of use for her.

As Ava was starting to run out of solutions to get out of the room, she heard a voice she thought she would never hear again, her heart warming at the sound. Sara.

 

“Ava?” Sara was yelling. Was Ava even here? Sara had come back to the room, hoping to find a clue on where her Ava could be. Sara looked around her, not a single soul was in the room. She came back to the chair where the Ava clone was strapped to earlier. Nothing. When suddenly, she heard noise coming from her left. Was someone banging on something? Her eyes landed on the mirror, understanding immediately that someone was behind it, watching her, and was trying to get her attention. 

“Ava?” she said again, looking at the mirror but seeing nothing more than her own reflexion.

And then she heard a muffled sound and saw the mirror trembling. Someone was truly banging on the mirror.

 

Ava’s heart was banging in her chest, her fists making contact with the mirror in unison, trying to get Sara’s attention. When she saw Sara looking at the mirror and approaching it, stopping her head a few centimeters away from it, she could not repress a choking sound to come out of her mouth. She missed her so much. She needed her. Her eyes were starting to water from the emotion. And as Sara’s left palm pressed against the mirror, the first tears came out of Ava’s eyes. She took a deep breath, a smile plastered on her lips, as she put her right hand against it too. She could feel the love flowing through their palms to one another. They were definitely connected. She closed her eyes when she saw her name on Sara’s lips. She had found her. She knew she was there. She would rescue her. All would be over soon. She would be in her arms.

She opened her eyes again and noticed that Sara was heading towards the metal chair in the room. Ava removed her hand off the mirror too, noticing the trail of blood she had left behind. She swallowed, and put herself on the side of her small room when Sara motioned her to. The deafening sound of shattering glass broke the silence she was in.

 

“Ava!” Sara said, relief seizing her entire body. “Oh God, Ava,” she continued, giving her hand to Ava for her to step over the broken glass.

When their hands made contact, Sara felt a jolt of electricity run through her, filling a void in her chest. 

“Sara,” Ava said, pulling Sara into a tight embrace, her lips finding her hairline. “You came back for me.”

“Is that really you?” Sara asked, trembling in Ava’s arms, her blue eyes shining. 

“It’s me, Sara, it’s really me,” Ava said, kissing her forehead, then her nose, to find her mouth a second later. 

Sara felt herself melt under Ava’s touch, both her hands encircling Ava’s face as she caressed her lips with her own. It felt finally right. It felt true. They were finally together. Sara reluctantly put some distance between them, taking both Ava’s hands in her own and looking into her eyes. 

“I wouldn’t leave you, Ava. I knew something was wrong. I could feel it in my heart,” Sara said, her thumb stroking Ava’s cheek as she removed the falling tears.

As Sara lowered her gaze to Ava’s hands, noticing the cuts, she felt her heart constrict in her chest. And as she took a deeper inspection of Ava, she saw how badly beaten Ava was. The bruises around her throat, the wound on her head. It made her angry. Angry at the people who had dared touch her. Angry at herself for not checking on her earlier.

“Let’s go home,” Sara said, confidence in her tone, as she smiled at Ava who returned it to her tenfold.

But as they got out of the room and went through a few hallways, they stumbled upon dozen of soldiers. They quickly turned the other way, but other soldiers had surrounded them. They were waiting for them. Sara looked at Ava’s terrified eyes. She had to protect her, even if she died trying.

“I love you,” Sara whispered, handing Ava a knife, before turning her back, getting her bo staff out of its holster, and taking a defensive stance. She felt her knives close to her skin, the weight of the shurikens in her pockets and Ava’s back against her own. She would fight with all her strength, but she was worried about Ava. She was in no fighting shape. She had to protect her. Sara’s muscles were tense. She was ready. It would either be the day they got out or the day they died.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sara, finally, found her Ava back, but she's in terrible shape. Will they be able to get back home? If yes, how will both Ava and Sara deal with the emotional and physical torture that Ava went through? And the more important question ... what does home mean?
> 
> I hope you liked the chapter ♥ Leave a comment ! They keep me going.


	4. You're real

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone :D I'm finally back with the final chapter of this Avalance story ♥  
> I'm sorry for the wait but uni, the exams and my master thesis took all my time.
> 
> Thank you Warden for the beta reading. You kept me going and motivated me during the entirety of this fic.
> 
> I hope you'll like the ending to this story. I loved writing the fic. ♥

As Sara saw the first soldier draw his gun, she felt a whisk of air enter the hallway. As she turned her head, everything she saw seemed to be in slow motion; a familiar face turning the corner; a few guards falling down on the ground; Charlie following Zari close by; Mick firing his heat gun, burning a few other soldiers; Ray in his Atom suit; Nora at his side, sending soldiers that were approaching Sara and Ava in the air, their bodies being projected against the walls.

“Sara!” Ava yelled, as she blocked a hit heading straight to her face and stabbed the man in his gut.

Ava’s urgency in her voice woke Sara up from her trance, her hands tightening immediately on her bo staff. As a soldier approached her, she hit him straight in his face, not losing a single second. She looked at Ava behind her, barely standing on her feet, the knife  in her left hand, her right arm clutched at her side, barely moving. She had to do something. Ava could not fight like that, she would get hurt even more.

“Zari! Give me a time courier,” Sara yelled as she saw a second wave of soldiers coming their way.

Zari did not hesitate a second as she threw a time courier to Sara who caught it perfectly and opened a time window to the Waverider.

Sara had to act quickly. She put her right arm around Ava’s midsection the second the portal opened and lifted her off the ground, pulling her into it without a second thought. She had to protect her.

 

“Sara, what are you,” Ava started, as she felt Sara’s arm encircle her abs, her feet losing touch with the ground. 

When she saw the medbay through the portal, she tried to get out of Sara’s arms but failed as a second arm encircled her. It did not help, her left arm was no use to her in its condition.

“Sara, stop,” Ava yelled as Sara carried her through the time window. “We have to …”

“Ava!” Sara cut her off, closing the time window behind them. She looked into Ava’s eyes, finding fear written into them. Sara knew what Ava was thinking. They could not abandon the team. They would not. She would not. But Ava had to rest.

“You’re in no fighting shape, Ava,” Sara started, taking a step closer to Ava, her hands resting lightly on Ava’s biceps. “So please, let me take care of you.”

 

“But I can still help. Your team. They need us.” Ava’s eyes were all over Sara’s face, trying to understand her.

Ava felt herself being pushed gently into the medbay chair, Sara’s right hand on her heart, keeping her still. 

“Stay here. I gotta go back and help them,” Sara said, leaving no room for discussion.

Ava was sure that she could still help the team, take down a few soldiers on her own. 

“Sara, please, let me come back with you,” she said, her fingers encircling Sara’s hand on her chest, squeezing lightly.

“I can’t focus on taking down the soldiers if I have to worry about you getting hurt. I can’t risk you.” Sara tilted her head, her eyes soft as she looked into Ava’s.

“Well I can’t let you go back without me,” Ava said, ready to get back on her feet.

“Gideon!” Sara said, her eyes never leaving Ava’s.

“Yes, Captain,” Gideon answered.

Ava felt herself drifting to slumber, understanding that Gideon had administered her an sedative, immediately following Sara’s orders.

“I’m sorry, honey,” was the last thing Ava heard before falling to sleep. She was sure that she felt a pair of warm lips dropping a kiss on her forehead right before everything went black.

 

 

 

Sara went back through the time window, jumping right into the fight, men falling at her feet for every second that passed. But as she looked around her, she saw Charlie take a hit, her arms encircling her ribs, her face twisting with sudden pain. Breathe in, breathe out. Another man on the ground. Breathe in, breathe out. Ray’s nose making contact with the floor. Breathe in, breathe out. Sara threw a shuriken in the back of a man towering over Ray as he watched the fight on his left. Nora was overpowered by five men around her, landing well calculated blows. Breathe in, breathe out. More men coming their way. What could she do? They had to get out and live to fight another day. 

“Everyone, pull back. Now!” Sara yelled.

 

 

 

Ava opened her eyes, taking a moment to remember where she was. She tried to move her right arm to block the dazzling light from hurting her eyes, but she quickly found out that restraints were keeping her from moving. She fought a little against them, testing their resistance, but it was no use, they were too strong for her. She clenched her teeth together, her jaw tightening and a tear made its way on her cheek. How could Sara do that to her when she knew she was being forced on a table like this in 2213? 

“How long was I out, Gideon?” she said, her fists tightening.

“Two hours, Director Sharpe,” Gideon answered her.

"Two," she yelled, then continued in a whisper, "hours?"

Sara should have been back by now. Did something terrible happened to her? Would Ava find her lifeless body if she came back to 2213? She would not be able to live with herself if it was the case. She should have fought harder. She should have went with her, even if it meant they both died. It was a better end than this. She could not live without Sara by her side.

She looked at the clock on the wall. 10 minutes had passed since she asked Gideon. Ava was already starting to imagine what her life would look like without Sara in it. No one to watch movies with, no one to cuddle in the morning, no one to kiss on New Year’s Eve. Ava was starting to panic, her heart beating in her ears, her vision becoming blurry, jerky breaths overpowering her entirely.

“Gideon, get me out of this chair, NOW!” Ava yelled, tears flowing out of her eyes, as she battled against the restraints.

“I do not have permission to do that, Director Sharpe,” the AI answered.

Her wrists were starting to hurt as she tugged at the restraints relentlessly. Suddenly, a time window opened in the medbay, Zari coming in first, an apologetic look in her eyes. But Ava’s heart stopped when she saw Sara’s still body in Nate’s arms.

“SARA!” she yelled, her heart constricting in her chest. She wanted to get out of the chair, be with Sara, reassure herself that Sara was fine. That she was just wounded.

“Gideon, do your magic,” Zari said, fear evident in her voice, as Nate put Sara in the other chair and Mick untied Ava.

As soon as she was free, Ava ran towards Sara, taking her hand in between hers.

“Please, my love. I know you can pull through. I believe in you,” she said, her hands trembling as she caressed Sara’s cheek.

The entire team was watching them, silent, unable to say a single word as shock was all they could feel.

“Sara. I’m here. Remember,” she said, her hand resting on Sara’s upper chest, “when did a Legend ever go quietly?”

Ava waited a minute, the longest minute of her life. Sara was still not moving. Ava finally dared to look at Sara’s entire body. She had an open gash in her belly. Blood was dripping on the floor, the crimson red contrasting against the white floor. Ava covered the wound with her hand, pushing a little on it, trying to stop the bleeding, but the warm liquid kept escaping her fingers.

“Gideon!” Ava yelled, sobbing. She was desperate. The team wouldn’t move around her. Why would they not help her?

“I am afraid to tell you that I cannot do more for the Captain. She is gone,” Gideon said in what could barely be called a whisper.

Ava’s eyes stared wide into the void, her heart shattering in a million different pieces as she understood that she had just lost the love of her life. Her hand came in front of her open mouth as she tried to suppress a sob.

“Oh god. Sara.” Ava put her ear against Sara’s chest, looking at her, her arms encircling her small body. She then framed Sara’s face with trembling hands, a shaky breath escaping her mouth as she tasted the salt of her tears in her mouth. She lowered her face towards Sara and pressed a loving kiss on her cold lips. She buried her face in the crook of her neck, her hand cradling Sara’s head, her fingers tangled in blonde locks as she screamed her pain to the world.

 

 

 

Ava screamed as she suddenly sat in her chair. Where was she? White light was blinding her. She felt a soft hand encircle her bicep, pushing her back to a lying position. When her vision became clearer a second later, she spotted blonde hair in front of her eyes. Her heart soared in her chest when she heard a voice belonging to the person she loved most in the world.

“Ava, it’s me. We’re back. I’m sorry Gideon drugged you. Are you okay? Did you have a nightmare?” Sara said, her hands taking one of Ava’s, caressing it.

“Sara!” Ava said, an enormous smile making its way onto her face. “Oh god, Sara. I thought I lost you.” She removed her hand from Sara’s, noticing that she had no restraints around her wrists. She then put her hand on Sara’s cheek, observing her perfect blue eyes looking at her with love. She saw Sara’s face approaching hers as Sara’s eyes drifted to her lips. They were only inches apart when a massive blow hit the Waverider.

“Gideon, get us out of here!” Sara said, as the light in the medbay stopped working altogether with the devices healing Ava. At least, she wouldn’t need stitches anymore and her arm was in one piece again.

“Yes, Captain,” Gideon answered, the timeship flying back to the safety of 2019.

 

 

 

“Zari, what happened?” Sara entered the bridge with Ava close behind her.

“They managed to hit us. The medbay stopped functioning along with a few other minor systems,” Zari answered, her eyes glued to the screen in front of her, her fingers running on the screen in order to emit a diagnosis.

 

“How long?” Sara asked, looking at Ava’s wounds.

 

“At least one day, Sara. They hit a major circuit.” Zari raised her eyes from the screen, looking into Sara’s eyes then at Ava. “I am sorry.”

 

“It’s ok, Zari. Gideon fixed all my deep wounds. Only superficial ones remain.” Ava did a sign with her hands, assuring Zari that everything was fine.

 

“Ok, thank you, Z. Can you tell us more about the people who kidnapped Ava?” Sara said, her right hand scratching the back of her neck as her eyes moved to the ground.

 

Sara and Ava listened carefully to Zari, Nora and Constantine as they explained the feeling Nora had and their discovery of the demon Neron. She then told them to take the next day off in order for Zari to fix all Gideon systems. All of them left the bridge, leaving Ava and Sara alone.

 

“Should we get back home?” Ava asked, looking at Sara’s exhausted face. It had been a long day for both of them and she would love to just lay somewhere comfortable with Sara, enjoying her presence. She had never been the cuddly type. But with Sara, it seemed like she was getting used to wanting to be close to her, touching her, hearing her heartbeat lulling her to sleep.

She had missed her deeply. And with what had been done to her, she needed her. She did not want to leave her side for any given reason, important or not. Tonight was theirs and theirs only.

“Sure,” Sara answered, smiling at Ava lovingly. “Let’s get going. We both need to rest.”

Sara opened a time window to Ava’s apartment, taking her hand in hers and crossing the portal together.

Ava came to a stop, taking in the state of her home. Everything was thrown to the ground, broken glass mixed with dirt from her plants. She felt like she had been robbed, a sinking pit in her stomach taking form. She looked at Sara, seeing a look of sadness in her eyes.

Sara squeezed Ava’s hand, trying to comfort her. Sara was first shocked by the scene, having forgotten the state of the apartment. Then, a wave of sadness surged her entire being. How could people hurt other people like that? Why did they hurt Ava? They would pay. Not today … but they would pay. She made a promise to herself that it would not go unpunished. She felt the heat of the bloodlust boiling inside her. She could control it now and it had nearly disappeared with Ava teaching her what true love was. But she could feel the welcoming heat englobing her completely. They would pay. She was taken out of her thoughts by Ava’s hand squeezing hers, giving her a reassuring look.

 

“I’m ok, Sara. Thanks to you … and your team. I’m here with you and I’m not going away,” Ava said, her hand still in Sara’s and her other hand lifting Sara’s chin up.

 

Sara nodded, then added, “We’ll tidy up your house tomorrow. Let’s rest now.”

 

Ava smiled then looked to the nearest table. Her heart sank in her chest. It was a photo of her and Sara smiling. But the frame was broken and the glass shattered. “Yes, let’s rest.”

 

“Want to take a shower first, hun?” Sara said as she walked the stairs to the second floor.

 

“God, yes!” Ava sighed, closing her eyes for a second, her hand on the rail as her feet lead her to the top of the stairs.

When Sara moved towards the bedroom and not the bathroom, Ava’s heart quickened. She wanted to take a shower with Sara. She did not want to be alone. She needed the touch of her fingers along her skin, reassuring her that she was real. “Sara?” Ava called, her breath getting caught in her throat, letting a strangled sound out.

 

Sara turned her face towards her, stopping immediately at the sound of her name and moving close to her. “Yes, Ava?” she answered with the softest voice Ava had ever heard, soothing her like a balm.

 

Ava opened her mouth to speak but found out that she just could not and that if she did, she would burst into tears.

 

“I’m gonna fetch us our pyjamas and then I’ll join you, okay?” Sara said, smiling at her and, with her right index, raising Ava’s chin in order to look into her eyes, trying to convey all the love she had for her.

 

 

 

When Sara entered the bathroom with the two sets of pyjamas, Ava was already under the water. Sara put the clothes down on top of a wicker basket and undressed herself.

“I’m coming, Ava. Is that still good for you?” she asked, waiting for Ava’s approval. She would never invade Ava’s privacy if she did not agree.

 

“Of course, Sara,” Ava answered faintly, her throat tight.

 

Sara opened the shower curtain, stepping under the water. She felt the hot water run along her skin and sighed, closing her eyes for a second. When she opened them, Ava’s back was turned towards her. She laid her hands on Ava’s shoulders, trying to soothe her, then kissed the crook of her neck. As she did that, Ava turned her head towards her, a small smile on her lips that Sara returned happily. She loved her so much. She would never let anyone else touch a single hair on her head. She was precious and, even if she would never admit it, fragile. She sure knew how to take care of herself but sometimes, just sometimes, Sara wished she would just let go of the control and trust Sara to protect her. As Ava turned her body so they were facing each other, Sara opened her eyes wide, her fingers immediately caressing Ava’s left collar bone.

“324 … B21,” Sara read in a whisper. “Did he do this to you?” she continued, anger flaring in her eyes as she saw tears starting to form in Ava’s.

 

“Gideon didn’t manage to heal it completely. It’s my clone number. He would always call me by that number,” Ava said, a sob overtaking her.

 

“Oh, hun,” Sara whispered, her arms encircling Ava’s waist, hugging her softly.

 

When Ava felt Sara’s arms tighten around her body, she crossed her forearms behind Sara’s neck, looking into her eyes for a second, then burst into tears. She was not real he had said to her. She was only a copy among thousands. She was nothing. Why would Sara love her? Why would she choose her over all of those other identical women? She pulled Sara close to her, leaving no room for the water to flow. It reassured her … That Sara was here, holding her, protecting her of her own mind. She put her face into the crook of Sara’s neck, sighing between sobs as she felt Sara’s hands run on her back in circles.

“Let me take care of you, Ava, then let’s go to bed. I think we both could use some rest, right?” Sara said, laying a kiss on her shoulder.

Ava smiled then nodded against Sara’s head. She then let herself be washed and washed Sara’s back, admiring the muscles under her fingertips.

 

 

 

Here they were, laying on the bed next to each other, on their side, watching the other, their hands joined.

“I’m sorry, Ava,” Sara said, breaking the silence.

 

Ava looked puzzled. “For what?” she answered.

 

“I should have protected you and brought you in on the kaupe plan.” Sara’s fingers put a lock of Ava’s hair behind her ear.

 

“Yeah you should have,” Ava said, jokingly. She scrunched her nose, smiling at Sara. “But I shouldn’t have said that I agreed with the torture of creatures. I just couldn’t deal with things that weren’t human. Because I had, and still have, trouble with being a clone, one of a thousand. I’ve always been a by the rules girl, Sara. You know that,” Ava said softly as Sara nodded. “I’ll always try to protect you but you know that I have to do my job. It’s the only thing that differentiates me from the other clones,” Ava continued, her eyes avoiding Sara’s.

 

“Look at me,” Sara said, the palm of her hand finding the base of Ava’s hair. “You are nothing, you hear me, nothing like those mindless clones. I swear to you I’ll try to bring you more in the loop of our next missions.”

 

“Could I maybe … be a part of some of those missions? Of course not all of them, but some. I want to be close to you,” Ava said as Sara smiled and scratched Ava’s hair lovingly.

 

“You’re always more than welcome, my love,” Sara answered, feeling her heart beat faster as Ava’s face lit with happiness.

Sara’s eyes moved from Ava’s to her mouth and back again, her own mouth slightly opened. She hesitated. She did not want to force herself on Ava, especially after what she had been through. She closed the gap after she heard a small please from Ava. When their lips connected, Sara closed her eyes, finally feeling complete after Ava’s abduction.

 

Ava moaned into Sara’s mouth, her fingers clutching at Sara’s biceps. Her hand, then, came to find the hem of Sara’s shirt, raising it high enough for her to slip her hand on her back, feeling the muscles under her fingers. She pulled Sara closer to her, trying to be one with her. The kiss was slow, both women trying to convey their love for one another through this kiss. When they pulled apart, both faces bore wide smiles.

 

“I love you,” Sara said, kissing Ava’s clavicle as she sunk her face into Ava’s chest, listening to her beating heart.

 

“And I love you more,” Ava answered, her fingers finding Sara’s hair. But was she really the person for Sara? She did not feel like she was enough. That maybe, because she had never truly been young, she wasn’t complete enough for Sara. That sooner or later, Sara would find out that she was a fraud and not a real person.

Sara heard a small increase in Ava’s heartbeat. She removed her head from Ava’s chest and looked at her calmly.

“What’s bothering you, love?” Sara asked, putting back a lock of blonde hair behind Ava’s ear.

 

Ava smiled before answering her. “You always know when something is wrong with me, don’t you?”

 

“Not always,” Sara said, her heart sinking in her chest. It took her days before knowing that Ava was missing.

Ava squeezed Sara’s hand, knowing what was passing through her mind.

“You found me, Sara. You were my knight in shining armour,” Ava said, smiling at Sara, who smiled back. “But I feel like you’re going to find out someday that I’m a fraud, that I’m not real. I can’t shake this feeling, Sara,” she continued as she lowered her head.

 

“Look at me,” Sara said, searching Ava’s eyes. When she saw that she was listening to her, she continued. “You remember what I told you when we found out about where you came from? I said … I said that you were as real as I felt about you.”

Ava smiled at Sara, her eyes glistening.

“I haven’t changed my mind, Ava, and I never will. You are real, you hear me?” Sara said as her hand took Ava’s and pressed it against her chest. “You feel that?” she continued, as Ava nodded her understanding. “Your beating heart means that I know from the innermost depths of my soul that you are a human being, just as me, capable of loving another person. We are no different, you and I. I used to flee when I felt like I got attached to another person. But not anymore, okay? You feel that?” she said as she switched from pressing their hands from Ava’s heart to her own.

Ava repressed a sob as she felt Sara’s heartbeat against her palm.

“You know … They tried to reset me to factory settings. They wanted to destroy me, my memories, my essence.”

A look of pure pain settled on Sara’s face. How could they do that? It was the same as killing a person. What would she have done if they had taken Ava away from her? She didn’t think she could have dealt with the pain. She swallowed hard, then asked, “What happened?”

“They put me on some chair and strapped me to it, putting my head in some sort of device. It was painful, Sara. They tried and tried and tried. But they didn’t succeed.” Ava smiled at Sara. She could see the question on her face, wondering why it did not work. “I thought of you. You kept me grounded, Sara.” Ava said, passing her hand through Sara’s hair, then cupping her cheek tenderly.

Sara’s heart surged in her chest at the confession and a single tear fell down her face, quickly erased by Ava’s thumb. She got closer to Ava, scratching behind her ear for a few seconds, looking into her eyes, then both their faces came forward at the same time, closing in together and touching tenderly. Soon, their kiss became salty, their tears mixing together on their lips, conveying how much they cared about the other and did not want to leave their side.

 

That’s when Ava asked herself if she would ever get back to normal. That was yet to decide. But with Sara next to her, everything was possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for reading the fic. I hope you liked it. If you did, please don't hesitate to write me a small comment ! I love them and they motivate me to write.
> 
> I have a next project coming it's an Avalance Fantasy AU story. It will be a big multichap.  
> Be sure to follow me here for the next story or on tumblr (4alarmfirecracker) for information on the fic. I'll try to write a few chapters before posting the first one. I'll probably draw some fanart to illustrate the fic ;) It will be a long run so I hope you'll like it ♥ You can also find me in the Avalance discord. I'll post some infos there too. (https://discord.gg/Shnj6x9)
> 
> Kiss to everyone and don't forget to leave a comment ;)


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